Food prices will rise by nearly 20 per cent over the coming five years, adding
more than £850 to the annual grocery bill of every household in the country.

A report last night claimed growing global demand for meat and grain, "erratic" weather and the land given over to biofuels would push up the cost of everyday staples.

Analysts at retail consultancy Conlumino said food price inflation would add £19.6 billion to the nation's annual grocery bill by 2018 - a rise of 17.8 per cent. On average the increase equates to more than £850 for every household in the country.

Typically, households spend nearly £5,000 a year on groceries.

Neil Saunders, Conlumino managing director, told the Daily Telegraph: "Generally, demand for food like meat and grain is outstripping supply and we have run out of science now, the only way we are going to produce more is by bringing more land into play.

"Weather is far more erratic, which affects harvests around the world and in the US in particular we have seen land that would have been used for food set aside for biofuels.